A long felt need has existed for an improved holster, particularly for use by military personnel as a standard sidearm carrying holster. Usually automatic handguns are carried as standard sidearms, weighing in the order of 30 to 40 ounces or more with a fully loaded clip. The handgun is worn with either a web or garrison belt and must be worn by both left and right handed personnel. In the past, left and right handed holsters of web-like fabric have been used with metal clip belt loops.
An improvement in military type holsters which fit both garrison and web belts and which serve both left and right handed personnel is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,688,953 co-inventor to John E. Bianchi. Holsters, in accordance with that patent, include dual belt loops on both sides of the holster body and a flap which is secured by rotatable removable fasteners which may be removed from either side of the holster body. Thus, the holsters made in accordance with U.S. Pat. No. 3,688,953 may be worn by either left or right handed personnel, side or cross draw, and on either garrison or web belts. This type of holster constituted a significant advance in military type holsters.
We have determined, however, that holsters of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,688,953 are bulkier than is desirable, having virtually double thickness on both the inner and outer sides of the holster at all times. The extra thickness on the outer side adds to bulkiness adjacent to the wearer's arm and is nonfunctional. Also, owing to the nature of the double belt loops, the holster tends to ride with a high center of gravity. In certain cases, a high center of gravity is desirable, but when carrying heavier weapons as the Colt government .45 automatic, the high center of gravity is not desired.